Concordia’s SHIFT Centre joins with Kanahwà:ke collective to support Indigenous food sovereignty

Concordia’s SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation and the Kahnawà:ke-based Tkà:nios collective are coming together to support Indigenous food sovereignty through community-led research.

The partnership combines Indigenous Traditional Knowledges and academic research to advance Indigenous self-determination and nurture sustainable food systems.

A growing vision

Tkà:nios, or "it grows" in Kanien’kéha, was founded by Brooke Rice, who is Kanien'kehá:ka from Kahnawà:ke, while she was a master’s student in the Individualized Program at Concordia.

“Hearing the stories of women Elders ignited a fire in me, and SHIFT offered a grant because they believed in the project,” explains Rice. “As a Kanien'kehá:ka woman, I know my responsibility to the land and future generations," she explains.

Inspired by the stories and knowledge of her grandmothers, who preserved food and medicines, Rice invited women from diverse backgrounds in Kahnawà:ke to come together to break the isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Tkà:nios has expanded into a thriving initiative that embraces land-based learning and intergenerational knowledge sharing.

Tkà:nios connects Elders with young people in the community to carry on traditional Haudenosaunee foodways, such as maple tapping, spear fishing, medicine walks, gardening work parties and hunting — all accompanied by storytelling, music and dancing.

The project seasons align with the 13 lunar cycles of the Haudenosaunee calendar.

Rice explains that she sees Tkà:nios as a journey of remembering, rather than reclaiming: "When I hold a corn seed in my hand that a great-great-great-great grandmother of mine planted — this is about carrying ancestral knowledge and passing it on to the next generation."

A multi-faceted partnership, rooted in community

Though SHIFT’s support for Tka:nios began when the project was selected through its participatory grant-making program, the centre’s support for Tkà:nios goes beyond funding.

“The partnership has grown naturally over the years as we’ve had opportunities to play the role of connector and support the project in a holistic way,” explains Elisabeth Cramer, coordinator of institutional partnerships at SHIFT.

Elena Tresierra-Farbridge, BA 24,  researched similar initiatives across North America while she was an undergraduate student in Sociology. to inform Tkà:nios’ next steps. The work was supported by a Gina Cody Research and Innovation Fellowship secured by Govin Gopakumar, a SHIFT Fellow and engineering professor. Community consultations then helped refine the plan for the food sovereignty hub, featuring a community kitchen, seed bank, and a pavilion for workshops.

Architecture firm Figurr Collective is now assessing potential sites identified by Kahnawà:ke community members for the future hub. Concordia engineering students working on capstone projects will soon develop technical plans aligned with the community’s vision, ensuring that Traditional Knowledges remain at the project’s heart.

The innovative research collaboration was established and continues to be supported by SHIFT’s Research and Advocacy program. The team also connected Tkà:nios with Santropol Roulant, a Montreal-based food justice organization that is now supporting the project with greenhouse resources and more. And student interns from the SHIFT Internship Program have contributed research and organizational development skills since the beginning.

Rice says the multi-faceted partnership is already having an impact: "It’s not just about growing food; it’s about remembering who we are."

She explains that the work of Tkà:nios challenges colonial food systems through trading and bartering, and advocates for Land Back initiatives to move towards food sovereignty for the Kahnawake community.

Anne Whitelaw, provost and vice-President, Academic, describes the project as a powerful example of the social transformation that SHIFT was designed to foster.

“Through funding, research and advocacy, experiential learning opportunities, and the many connections SHIFT has cultivated, this partnership helps realize the community’s vision to create a space for learning, remembrance, and growth — now and, hopefully, for generations to come.”

Learn more about community-university research partnerships at Concordia’s SHIFT Centre for Social Transformation.